Holder for sign characters



June 7, 1932. F. P. GSTALDER HOLDER FOR SIGN CHARACTERS Original Filed March 23, 1931 gwumtoz F/TPHNC/J P 6.5 ML 05/? Patented June 7, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRANCIS P. GSTALDER, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO HOLDER FOR SIGN CHARACTERS Application filed March 23, 1931, Serial No. 524,600. Renewed November 16, 1931.

My invention relates to improvements in holders for sign characters, and relates especially to supports or holders for retaining forms of characters such as letters or numerals in any desired order of assembly by means of devices detachably mounted upon a suit able rigid bar to permit the desired change in the relative position of the characters to convey the meaning intended.

It is an especial advantage of my invention that a suitable supporting flange for each sign character may be clamped between parallel plate members which form together an integral unit of a peculiar outline in cross section, and further modified in lateral formation to provide secure holding mechanism for the said flange, as will be explained in further detail. An especial advantage is inherent in my improvement, because of a certain off-set transverse position of the said unit now to be described.

It is an object of my invention to provide sign characters having vertically extending flanges which are bent laterally from the main portion of the character and again bent vertically therefrom to a plane parallel with the letter itself, or other character employed, so that the final result of the character with its integral flange will be an off-set flange plate, and further providing a shoulder directly beneath the bent attaching web, as well as a similar shoulder above the web, either of which provides novel means for very positively securing the characters in alined position.

It is a further object of myinvention to provide such integral clamping members one of whose parallel plates is narrowerithan the other, and will ordinarily support the web shoulder of the sign character thereon, while the broader plate member may have its extended edge bent laterally over and above the said web of the character to avoid undesired raising of the character flange out of the said integral clamp unit.

While the objects of my invention are stated above with reference to mounting sign characters upon integral base flanges, and are here referred to and later defined as positioned vertically, it is not to be understood as being confined to the particular planes mentioned, but are to be considered as illustrative only, and that saidcharacters may be supported by my holding mechanism in various planes though inclined to the vertical, and that the characters may by the same supporting means suspend characters from their upper edges, by the provision of clamp- 'ing plate members, whose relation to the characters will not otherwise be modified for at, the purpose. Suitable means will be provided for supporting the said bar, from which the character forms are to be extended, of various structures at the end of the bar, or at its mid-point.

These and other objects and advantages may be accomplished by the structure to be explained in detail in the body of the said specification, specifically recited in. the appended claims, and disclosed in the accompanying drawing in which igure 1 is a view in perspective in a sign holder mounted upon a vertical support;

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the holder taken in the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of a holder shown suspended, from vertical bars;

Figure 4 is a transverse section shown in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 30 3, parts of anumeral being broken away;

Figure 5 is a perspective of sign characters partly removed from the holder of the form shown in Fig. 3, and

Figure 6 is a perspective of a numeral shown suspended integrally from a plate having a double bend throughout its length.

My improved holder comprises a bar 5 elongated to provide a suitable support for spaced sign characters which are shown in the drawing as numerals 6, for illustrative purposes only, but which may as well be letters, chosen from any language, or arbitrary symbols of any desired outline, which will usually be formed of thin metal plate; but in each case, will ordinarily be provided with elongated narrow plate sections integral with the sign characters, shown as the plate 7 in Fig. 6, connected to the upper portion of the character; and as the-plate 8 in I 1 and 2, connected to the base, of the acters therem, and is formed by bending a narrow thin plate upon itself longitudinall to form spaced edges, one of the sides of the bent plate being narrow as shown at 10 in Figs. 2 and 4, and the other side 11 being relatively much wider and having its edge at 12 bent toward and beyond the edge 13 of the side 10, to provide an ofl-set space between the edges 12 and 13 to receive detachably therein the intermediate portion 9 of the character element, and thereby secure the characters in position between the sides 10 and 11.

It will be evident that the several characters 6 may be slidably entered or removed in the open bar 5 by guiding the plate sections 7 or 8 into the opening of such bar from.

one end thereof, and the different characters entered thereinto successively. It will also be shown that the methodof inserting the characters in the support will be substantially similar, whether the base sections are above or below the characters. In either case, the

. narrower side 10 of the bar 5 will lie in the substantially identical plane as the characters 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and that the offset portion 12 of the wider side 11 of the bar 5 will prevent removal of the base 7 or 8 from such bar except by slidable movement alon the length of the bar, as illustrated in ig. 5.

To retain the characters 6 in the bar 5, the sides 10 and 11 are temporarily held together by bolts 14 tightened by nuts 15. This affords detachable security of the characters within the bar.

My structure for holding sign characters detachably and selectively in the desired position, includes a. supporting mechanism which may take Varied forms. If the bar 5 holds the plate sections 8 of the characters therein, and it is desired to support the bar with the sign characters above the ground surface or above and from any form of frame, the su porting means may Well be a sharpened sta e 16 having a bent clamping plate 17 applied to the upper end of the stake and affording a U-shaped clamping space within which the bar 5 will be held by means of one or more.

bolts 18 secured in position by a nut 19, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Here the stake is driven into the ground or otherwise secured to a frame.

If however, the characters are suspended from the plates 7, and it is desired that the bar 5 shall be itself suspended from an u per beam, certain L-bars 20 ma be employed aving perforations in the ower arm of the support bar which will readily receive the bolts 14 which secure the side plates 10 and 11 together, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper arm 21 of the Us will be apertured to receive securing means22 for holding the Us and holders to the beam 23.

In the practice of my invention, all of the sign characters, whether letters, numbers or symbols, will be supported or suspended from theplate sections 7 or 8, and it is a special advantage that any number of characters may be removably inserted in the clamping bar 5 without necessitating the useof clamping bolts passing throu h the characters or their. support sections. f the form shown in Fig.

.1 is used, the ends of the bar members are tightened by the bolts 14 and the parts 16 and 17 are clamped tightly together by the bolts 18 which are beneath the bar 5. The form in I Fig. 3 requires merely the bolts 14 at the ends of the bar 5. Hence its universal adaptability.

It is to be understood that any of the characters desired to be used in my holder, may readily be formed integral with the supporting plate sections 7 or 8, and that this enables me to'form the parts 7, 9 and 6 of sheet metal of uniform thickness, it only being advisable that the section 7 or 8 shall be bent out of the plane of the characters 6. This enables the use' of spacing sections 7 or 8, when it is desired to space any particular characters in the holder. Further, since the bar 5 is unchanged by using the stake 16 or the L-member 20, the bars 5 may be provided in any number, and any one of them used'in either of the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters being bent laterally toward the edge of the narrow wall to prevent vertical insertion or.

removal of a plate between these edges, and means for detachably clamping the ends of the walls together.

3. The combination of an elongated holder bar having spaced parallel side walls of different width to forma guide space therebetween, the edge of the wider wall being bent toward the narrower wall and above its edge to avoid vertical insertion or removal therefrom of a sign character between the. two edges, and sign characters having supporting integral plate'sections bent from the plane of the character but into parallelism therewith, so that such plate sections may be inserted into said interwall space from-the end of the bar only.

4. A holder for sign characters having integral plate sections bent from one edge thereof into parallelism with the characters, comprising an elongated bar having parallel side walls of different width laterally spaced to receive said plate sections therein longitudinally, the edge of the wider wall being bent toward the plane of the narrower wall to prevent insertion and removal of said-plate sections vertically between the edges of said walls.

5. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a holder comprising metal strips bent into parallel side walls of unequal width forming therebetween a guide space, the edge of the wider wall being bent toward the plane of the narrower wall to avoid vertical insertion of a plate between the two edges of the walls, sign characters having integral plate sections bent out of the plane of the character into parallelism therewith, the plate sections slidably fitting the inter wall space at the end of the holder, and a vertical supporting bar having a clamping means on its upper end for engaging detachably the said holder externally to support the latter and the characters engaged therein.

' 6. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a holder comprising metal strips bent into parallel side walls of unequal width forming therebetween a guide an elongated bar having parallel side walls of difierent widths and spaced apart to form a guide space, the edge of the wider wall being bent laterally toward the edge of the other to form a lip beneath the narrow wall, sign characters having integral plate sections bent out of the plane of the characters, said plate sections slidably fitting the interwall space in the'bar, and L-bars having one arm supporting said guide bar and the other arm adapted to be attached to a frame above the sign, so that the sign characters maybe suspended below from said guide space.

9. A sign comprising an elongated bar having parallel side walls of different widths and spaced apart to form a guide space, the edge of the'wider wall being benttoward the other,

wall to form a lip in alinement with said guide space, means for detachably clamping the ends of said walls together to avoid removal or insertion of a plate into or from said space, sign characters having on one of their edges obliquely bent plate sections for fitting the guide space of said elongated bar, and means for clamping externally the ends of said bar and supporting the same with its sign characters froma suitable foundation. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of March, 1931.

I FRANCIS P. GSTALDER.

space, the edge of the wider wall being bent I 7 toward the plane of the narrower wall to avoid vertical insertion of a plate between the two edges of the walls, sign characters having integral plate sections bent out of the Q plane of the character into parallelism there with, the plate sections slidably-fitting the interwall space at the end of the bar, and clamping support means for detachably engaging the said holder externally to support the latter and the characters engaged therein.

7. In a device of thecharacter described. a character holder comprising an elongated her having parallel side walls of different widths and spaced apart to form a guide space, the edge of the wider .wall being bent laterally toward the edge of the narrow wall to cover said guide space, sign characters having integral plate sections bent out of the plane of the characters into parallelism therewith, the plate sections slidably fitting the interwall space at the end of the bar, and a clamping bar for engaging externally said holder bar and having its opposite end constructed to readily be inserted in earth ma- 

